Tappets

[Bobbybass]

I have a Beta 43 engine.

 

I keep it well maintained...and have done about 7200 hours now.

It sounds OK to me...but someone recently told me that it is good practice to check the tappet clearance.

 

Is that so.....or should I just leave it on a 'don't fix what ain't broke basis' ?

 

If the answer is 'yes'...do I just remove the injectors to relieve the compression......and does anybody know what the clearances should be ?

I'm pretty 'au fait' with setting car tappets...

 

Thanks.

 

Bob

[pearley]

My Beta 43 manual makes no mention of adjusting the tappets so I assume they are hydraulic and so need no adjustment.

[Bobbybass]

My Beta 43 manual makes no mention of adjusting the tappets so I assume they are hydraulic and so need no adjustment.

Thats exactly what I found / thought...

It was an 'engineer' who said this to me....

 

Anyone know different ?

 

tah.

 

bob

Edited July 16, 2011 by Bobbybass

[Nickhlx]

Thats exactly what I found / thought...

It was an 'engineer' who said this to me....

 

Anyone know different ?

 

tah.

 

bob

 

 

The engine turns over ok (just) with a spanner on the alternator so no need to disturb the injectors...

 

Nick

[soldthehouse]

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=14642

[Tim]

Kubota workshop manual says to check / adjust each 800 hours!

[nicknorman]

I have a Beta 43 engine.

 

I keep it well maintained...and have done about 7200 hours now.

It sounds OK to me...but someone recently told me that it is good practice to check the tappet clearance.

 

Is that so.....or should I just leave it on a 'don't fix what ain't broke basis' ?

 

If the answer is 'yes'...do I just remove the injectors to relieve the compression......and does anybody know what the clearances should be ?

I'm pretty 'au fait' with setting car tappets...

 

Thanks.

 

Bob

 

Our new Beta 43 has a label on the top stating the tappet clearances. Unfortunately can't tell you what it says until I am next at the boat. To me this means they are not hydraulic and would probably be best checked from time to time even though it is not mentioned in the maintenance schedule. However since our engine has only done 120 hrs from new, it will not be for a while...

 

Nick

[Tim]

From memory (manual on boat) .18 - .22mm

[Bobbybass]

Hmmmm....Sounds like I need to check them..?

 

As the engine sounds fine....and starts on the button...I assumed it to be OK.

As has beem said....I can find no reference in the service schedule or clearance data....so assumed they were hydraulic.

 

bob

[David Schweizer]

The only time the tappets have been adjusted on our elderly BMC 1.5 was when the head was tightened down after an engine re-build, if our engine is OK, a modern one should not need any regular attention.

 

Just ask yourself how often you adjust the tappets on your car engine, I guess the answer is "never". So why should it be any different on a modern boat engine?

 

The concept of regular mechanical adjustments on engines is from 30 years ago, on modern engines the only things that go wrong are the electronics.

Edited July 16, 2011 by David Schweizer

[nicknorman]

Hmmmm....Sounds like I need to check them..?

 

As the engine sounds fine....and starts on the button...I assumed it to be OK.

As has beem said....I can find no reference in the service schedule or clearance data....so assumed they were hydraulic.

 

bob

The Beta manual does not mention them, but Beta do not make the engine! Loose tappets are noisy, have a very slight effect on power and slightly increase wear but otherwise no big deal. Tight tappets can cause the valve to not close fully when hot, resulting in combustion gases eroding the valve and valve seat fairly quickly, leading to leaks that will one day make the engine difficult to start. The only solution then is a top end overhaul! Therefore best not to wait until there is a problem!

 

Nick

[Chalky]

The only time the tappets have been adjusted on our elderly BMC 1.5 was when the head was tightened down after an engine re-build, if our engine is OK, a modern one should not need any regular attention.

 

Just ask yourself how often you adjust the tappets on your car engine, I guess the answer is "never". So why should it be any different on a modern boat engine?

 

The concept of regular mechanical adjustments on engines is from 30 years ago, on modern engines the only things that go wrong are the electronics.

 

Cars use hydraulic tapets so don't need adjusting. The usual failure is they sludge up due to lack of maintainance.

 

The usual failures with modern cars are both mechanical and electronic. There can be mechanical issues with many vehicles however often they can be managed by the electronics until the problem becomes a stopper. At that point the electronics gets the blame for a mechanical fault. Often if you take a car to a dealer they will update software to fix a fault. This isn't necessarily a software bug - often its easier add a fix in software than to change a large oily lump.

Edited July 16, 2011 by Chalky

[Guest]

Can't speak for a Beta, but have checked the tappets on our Vetus a few times. IIRC I had to adjust one tappet on one occasion which was a tiny bit wide. Other than that they have been spot on over the years. I shall do them for its tenth birthday.

[nb Innisfree]

Cars use hydraulic tapets so don't need adjusting. The usual failure is they sludge up due to lack of maintainance.

 

The usual failures with modern cars are both mechanical and electronic. There can be mechanical issues with many vehicles however often they can be managed by the electronics until the problem becomes a stopper. At that point the electronics gets the blame for a mechanical fault. Often if you take a car to a dealer they will update software to fix a fault. This isn't necessarily a software bug - often its easier add a fix in software than to change a large oily lump.

 

The only time the tappets have been adjusted on our elderly BMC 1.5 was when the head was tightened down after an engine re-build, if our engine is OK, a modern one should not need any regular attention.

 

Just ask yourself how often you adjust the tappets on your car engine, I guess the answer is "never". So why should it be any different on a modern boat engine?

 

The concept of regular mechanical adjustments on engines is from 30 years ago, on modern engines the only things that go wrong are the electronics.

 

Cars usually have overhead cams so utilise bucket and shim tappets which are almost maintenance free due to the large surface area. I have measured the clearance on a few of my past cars with bucket and shim and found they never needed adjusting even ones that had done 230k miles.

Edited July 16, 2011 by nb Innisfree

[Chalky]

Cars usually have overhead cams

 

Some of the newer more interesting ones just have 3 phases

 

http://blog.londolozi.com/2011/07/the-electric-land-rover/

 

http://www.wheels24.co.za/News/General_News/Battery-Landy-stalks-the-Big-Five-20110509

Edited July 16, 2011 by Chalky

[Nickhlx]

Some of the newer more interesting ones just have 3 phases

 

 

...and recently a superbike....

 

Nick

[Tony Brooks]

May I add a note of caution. These modern engines have valve springs that are so weak you can push the valve open with your thumb so for goodness sake do not use the same "feel" on the gauge as you may have done on old cars. if you get them even slightly tight the feeler will compress the spring but you can still slide it about fairly easily. Remember too loose is just a bit of noise but too tight could burn the seats.

 

Using a pair of feelers one one size smaller then the gap and one one size larger as go - no go gauges is probably the safest way of getting them exact.

[KenK]

The only time the tappets have been adjusted on our elderly BMC 1.5 was when the head was tightened down after an engine re-build, if our engine is OK, a modern one should not need any regular attention.

 

Just ask yourself how often you adjust the tappets on your car engine, I guess the answer is "never". So why should it be any different on a modern boat engine?

 

The concept of regular mechanical adjustments on engines is from 30 years ago, on modern engines the only things that go wrong are the electronics.

 

Nothing to do with boats but certainly modern diesel engines, Sprinter 1, hole in piston. Sprinter 2 cracked head dropped valve, smashed piston. Sprinter 3 fuel leak, all vehicles less than four years old all within two weeks. Modern engines are rubbish, the oldest vehicle has an old pre electronics engine has over 400,000 miles on the clock and is still going strong, used all day every day.

 

Ken

[Guest]

Is it still possible to buy those adjusting tools that look a little like a micrometer? They used to sit on top of the tappet and the adjustment was gauged from there rather than messing around with semi-accurate feeler gauges. Given Tony's warning about valve springs, I think one would be useful.

 

Found one:

 

http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-engine-and-mechanical-tools/gunson-clikadjust-tappet-adjuster.html

Edited July 16, 2011 by Guest

[FadeToScarlet]

Is it still possible to buy those adjusting tools that look a little like a micrometer? They used to sit on top of the tappet and the adjustment was gauged from there rather than messing around with semi-accurate feeler gauges. Given Tony's warning about valve springs, I think one would be useful.

 

Found one:

 

http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-engine-and-mechanical-tools/gunson-clikadjust-tappet-adjuster.html

 

I've got one of them, but am trying to figure out calibration before I can use it. I THINK you have to do one tappet with the gadget and a feeler gauge to set the number of clicks, then you just art to that number on the rest of the tappets.

[David Schweizer]

Nothing to do with boats but certainly modern diesel engines, Sprinter 1, hole in piston. Sprinter 2 cracked head dropped valve, smashed piston. Sprinter 3 fuel leak, all vehicles less than four years old all within two weeks. Modern engines are rubbish, the oldest vehicle has an old pre electronics engine has over 400,000 miles on the clock and is still going strong, used all day every day.

 

Ken

I presume that you are talking about the Mercedes Sprinter Van, A friend had one of those, and I was not impressed with the engine, always breaking down. But he did drive like a maniac, so maybe that was part of the problem.

[nb Innisfree]

Is it still possible to buy those adjusting tools that look a little like a micrometer? They used to sit on top of the tappet and the adjustment was gauged from there rather than messing around with semi-accurate feeler gauges. Given Tony's warning about valve springs, I think one would be useful.

 

Found one:

 

http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-engine-and-mechanical-tools/gunson-clikadjust-tappet-adjuster.html

 

Or the original SPQR tappet adjuster. Looks the same though.

[Bobbybass]

Back again...

Hey...how come its going off topic !!

 

The settings are : 0.18 - 0.22 for both exhaust and inlet...cold.

 

Beta told me...that even at 7200 hours...if the oil has been changed according to schedule...the tappets are probably bang-on-correct.

He said....that if I found one that appeared 'out'..I had probably measured it wrong.

 

bob